Confrontation

Alpha, Nancy Rote & Songmark Characters Copyright Mr. Simon Barber

Used with permission.

Albert Sapohatan returned home rather late, shrugging off a soft mist that promised to become heavy fog by morning. His lateness in itself wasn’t unusual for the ferrets job often required long hours. In this case though he carried a thick, water resistant leather lawyers briefcase. One with two padlocks on it. Though this in itself wasn’t that unusual the scowl on his face was a major departure from the norm. Walking quickly to the converted bedroom his new wife and he now used as a shared office (it had been her bedroom, back when she was his foster daughter) he carefully insured that the new special shutters and curtains were closed. It was an almost unnecessary security measure as since accepting the position he had offered her his young wife had almost immediately assigned guards for their home, something he had never thought of. Those guards looked completely normal even to well trained enemy agents. For not only were they well trained, they were natives as well. Albert Sapohatan was aware of a special group that trained every Spontoon child like those who waited outside, ignoring that cooling mist as though it had no existence in their reality. They were nothing but the best available. Elizabeth Kathleen Sapohatan had learned from personal experience not to accept seconds when her life was the prize. Sitting his case on a table that now filled a large part of the room he waited.

As he waited his wife, Elizabeth Sapohatan, finished a report she was writing. She signed it, then calmly lofted its five paw written pages across the table where it landed with a soft thump in front of her husband. “Weekly report. I know its late, I’ve been kinda busy” she explained even before she looked up. At the sight of his face her own expression changed. “Oh God are you that mad at me?”

“Not you my love” he explained. “A certain Songmark student.”

“Oh?” Flickering an ear slightly the bobcat leaned back and stretched, at the same time teasing her husband with her body. “And what did sweet young Amelia do to you this time?”

Sitting down Albert shook his head no. “And not Helen either, though there are times that I feel that she is the brighter of that pair. It’s a new first year who has my hackles up this time.”

“Who wanders around using the name of?”

“Nancy Rote. She’s a Squirrel, her fathers Governor of somewhere in the United States. Illinois I think. Liz. I’m afraid I’m going to have to remove her.”

Elizabeth stopped teasing. “She’s not another Chastity Forsythe is she?”

Albert grimaced, his whiskers flickering in the way Elizabeth had long ago learned meant that he was deeply embarrassed. “No, nothing like that. She’s a darn amateur private eye or as she puts it, a sleuth.”

“Ah.. Hah.” Elizabeth stood, taking a moment to stretch her delicious form again. “Now we come to the crux of the matter. Calm down Albert I’ll get us coffee.” Walking out of the room she left her upset husband alone to calm down as he read her report. Soon Albert caught a scent of fresh brewed Hawaiian coffee coming from their kitchen. He knew that Elizabeth kept hot water waiting for his late night returns, just as she had before his... He pushed his mind away from those memories even after this long they were still too painful. He knew that for her having the water already waiting made brewing coffee, or sometimes a hot tea that much quicker. By the time his wife returned with two cups and a pot of coffee he had calmed a bit.

“Drink first” Elizabeth instructed. “Then tell me if this is official business.”

Following her orders Albert sipped his coffee, his tail curling at the wonderful taste as his wife returned to her own chair, herself curling up in a most attractive pose. Finished with half the cup he sat the fragile Chinese manufactured porcelain aside then took a very deep breath, releasing it slowly. “Worse. I’m turning it over to you.”

“Me? As in you want me to turn her lights off?”

Very deliberately Albert pulled several folders from his case. Setting them down in front of his wife he explained. “Bryzov, Procyk, Inconnutia, Ducros, Bourne-Phipps, Parkesson. Every one of these women have been problems, are problems in one way or another. Yet not one of them has stooped so low as to expose one of our people. Yet in one day, on one trip to Casino Island and back this girl exposed two of our better water taxi people to her classmates. Not only that, she has let slip that there are certain things about a certain islands ‘water project’ that she finds very interesting. Let me not forget to add that she has already tried to have Procyk, Bourne-Phipps, Bryzov and Parkesson arrested as ‘criminals that should never be permitted to see sunlight again.’”

“Where’s Wei’s jacket” Elizabeth asked softly.

Without a word the ferret dropped another, much thicker folder on top of the rest. “She hasn’t officially met a Priestess yet, but I thought you’d want that.”

“I see. Now I don’t tend to deal in local or criminal activities lover that’s your bailiwick, and one I leave to you with delight. These others, Oharu is dealing with the Russian quite well I should think. Tatiana has calmed a great deal and her outlook seems to be changing. Slightly, still its observable. Molly... God help anyone who hurts Molly Procyk as Oharu will destroy them. All these others are well able to handle a first year, why to be honest I should expect someone this nosey to be found sleeping with the fishes one morning.”

“Which Procyk has already threatened, in public. Now if that happens who’s the first person we have to go after. And tell me my soft sweet bed warmer, what will happen next?”

“So you just want a bullet between the eyes, a cut throat or a broken neck. Nothing that any of these girls MO’s are like and them with excellent alibis. Why me? I know ten, twenty of our people who could do the job.”

“I’d rather you gut her and drag her behind a fishing boat as shark bait” Albert admitted. “But.. I don’t need Songmark upset with me right now.”

Elizabeth looked puzzled. “Dear. It won’t be the first Songmark student that’s had to be dealt with. Though it is extremely rare, not counting the English agent that escaped I know of only one girl who’s bones now lay in that little inlet. That second class French girl who tried to kill Huakava because she believed her the Devil’s sister. A second set of bones will not matter so much I should think so why worry so?”

Reaching into his jacket Albert carefully placed an envelope in front of his wife. “Read this, as a Controller, read this.”

Abruptly all business Elizabeth carefully checked the envelope, noting who’s signatures were on its back before adding her own. Then breaking what must have been the ninth wax seal she withdrew several sheets of paper. At the same time Albert began setting up what was needed to reseal the envelope. “My God” she gasped softly. “What are the American’s doing about this?”

“It just came in this evening. I doubt that the American’s have had any time to react and to be honest I doubt they will more than giggle over their drinks about ‘the old worlds troubles.’ Isolationism is big over there right now. This so called London Protocol, agreeing to prohibit unrestricted submarine warfare against unarmed ships. It’s a prelude to war, a big war. One I am afraid will make the Great War look like a game.”

Carefully folding the letter the bobcat returned it to its envelope, passing it over to her husband to reseal. “I’ll see if anyone is going to Germany this month, see what they have to say when they get back. If no one is going I’ll send an artist to apply for one of their schools. Or have Butterfly contact one of those wives she’s sent there. Europe goes to war it pulls the English and French away from our part of town and that leaves too many bully-boys free to practice their own form of knee breaking.”

“Right” her husband agreed. “Taking this into consideration one thing I don’t need is some teenager wandering around pointing out our people. Talk to her and shut her up, one way or another. All protocols are open in this case.”

“I may hire her” Elizabeth laughed. “To keep track on our Krupmark and Kuo Han problems. You have her Songmark records?”

“For the night, Miss Blande wants them back by noon.” He dug into his briefcase again, taking out a folder with the distinctive Songmark emblem chased in silver. “I haven’t read it but I’ll bet you two shells you’ll find some interesting reading here. Here is another, her wifes.” He withdrew yet another Songmark folder. Then digging out a completely different kind of folder he offered it. “The squirrels medical files from her hometown of Creekside.”

Accepting the last folder Elizabeth weighed it in her paw, not reacting to her husbands admission that Nancy Rote had a wife. “Hon. I’ll bet you a three shell note you’ll never find one of these that isn’t ‘interesting reading.’ Remember I’ve been there, I’ve met a lot of their graduates in some rather exotic situations. Hell, one group is the only reason I’m still alive.”

“Those Air Pirates?”

“The same. I’ll tell you about it some day when I want to really shock you. All right, give us a kiss then leave me alone to read.” She looked at the table. “Its going to be a long night and tomorrow starts early.”

It was sometime before sunrise when Albert woke as someone entered the bedroom. “We seriously have to talk” Elizabeth said, taking for granted that her husband, as she would, had woken at the doors opening. “I may not have been born here Albert but even I have lived here long enough to spot a frightening pattern.”

Dragging the covers off himself Albert sat up in the bed. There was only the light of false dawn outside but from her voice he knew better than to turn on a lamp. Sometime later the fog muted chant of a local priestess welcoming true dawn filtered through their bedroom window, but neither heard.

Sometime later that same day the first year Nancy Rote walked into Song Sodas. It was the first time in almost two weeks that she or her dorm had been outside Songmarks fence. During that time she had found herself, and her dorm, oddly ‘restricted to base’ as it were, the demerits given seemingly pulled out of the air at random and her not responsible for a single one. Still this was her first year and school had just started so it was quite possible that there were certain rules that they had not yet been informed of, or were expected to discover for themselves. Off to the right she noticed one of the faculty having a soda. The yellow furred Miss Devinski was sitting with a afghan hound. Nancy noted that the afghan was holding a baby, that simply told Nancy that she was a mother. The look said Afghan was giving Miss Devinski told her something else. Mentally she filed away the information. Most likely she would never need it but if something happened to either it might be best to know who might need her.

A waitress greeted her as was normal so Nancy handed over the note she had been given. At first the younger native girl smiled as she read, then her expression changed. Saying something in the native language she motioned for Nancy to follow her. That there were rooms in back of Song Sodas was well known to all students. They were for private parties, clandestine meetings with lovers or simply a place to retreat to when the world was closing in. This room was different though, as far as the squirrel knew none of the rooms had a thick door leading to a tiny hall, then to another door just as thick and if she remembered the building correctly, this room must be near the center of Song Sodas. It was odd that both doors were nearly a paws width thick each. Opening the second door her guide motioned her in, then shut the door behind her. There was a barely heard thud as a heavy bolt sealed that door behind her. ‘Soundproofed’ Nancy realized an instant before she took in who was waiting.

There were two women in the room, a bobcat and a rabbit. There was also a rather deadly looking model 1911 .45 automatic pointed directly at her own chest. One that from its condition had seen serious, and long use. “Yes, soundproof room so no one will hear anything” the bobcat informed her guest, motioning with the automatic in her paw. “Turn around, paws behind yer back.”

Obeying instantly Nancy couldn’t help but process the woman’s accent. Native was there, but underlying it a foundation that couldn’t quite be lost was a definite Western American accent. This woman was from America or had lived there many years. She soon felt rough harsh rope wrap around her wrists, binding them together. Then around her elbows, drawing them painfully together as well. This caused her chest to push forward and though she couldn’t help it, after her initial pain faded that excitement she had finally learned the label for with Alpha’s help hit her. Spun around by the silent rabbit she found herself studying her captor. Older than the bobcat she was obviously subservient to her. Lead by a rope lead loosely wrapped about her neck she found herself facing an uncomfortable looking stool. Sitting on it she felt her feet bound to the stool as well as her tail. Helpless. She was helpless and could be dead in an instant yet she was excited. More so than she could ever remember. “May I talk?” she asked softly.

“Only if you are asked a question” the bobcat answered, waiting until her companion sat beside her again. Nancy noted that they shared a look, not the kind of look that afghan had been giving Miss Devinski but something important had just passed between them. “Question Mrs Rote, do you want to leave this room alive?”

“Yes Mam.”

“Good answer. Short, to the point. No useless embellishment. Mrs Rote, you are a danger to the security of this nation are you aware of that?”

“No Mam” Nancy answered, a empty feeling filling her stomach. Danger? How?

“Be aware that you are. Now this meeting is to determine if you are smart enough to take a warning, or if you are not. If your not, wither simply selling you and your wife to Kuo Han is enough or am I going to have to close those beautiful eyes forever. I think your wife Alpha would be heartbroken at either choice. She might even choose to follow you, should she poke that long nose of hers in the wrong place. Now repeat my options, then tell me if you understand them or not.”

Nancy shivered in fear, to be sold... “You can release me if I accept your rules and I can return to Songmark. You can sell me, I assume that means Songmark can’t help me. Or you can kill me, again Songmark will have no say in the matter. Yes Mam. I understand your options.”

“She’s smarter than I thought” the bobcat observed to her unspeaking companion. “Maybe she’s salvageable after all. Mrs Rote. Please, would you inform me as to why you have been causing so much trouble for your fellow students?”

“Why should I” the squirrel asked. “Your obviously no better than they are.”

“As to why Mrs Rote” Elizabeth answered as she removed something from under the table. It turned out to be a short fat tube, one that the bobcat slowly began to screw onto the muzzle of her weapon. “I happen to be judge, jury and executioner here. Either you make me happy or you make the fish happy. For me it’s a win-win situation, for you, not so much. For Alpha, a possible disaster. Remember her girl, you are not alone in this world anymore. What you do here can end another woman’s life as well and I promise you, her death will be slow and very, very painful.” She leveled the weapon, pulling its trigger almost casually. A section of the wall beside and a bit behind Nancy exploded in a shower of cork. Particles cascaded over the bound squirrel. “Not to worry Mrs Rote, there is an inch of armor steel inside that wall. No ones in danger here except you. As to myself, lets leave it at this, those who legally protect this nation, of which I am a very legal citizen of, have asked me to deal with you. Asked... They dumped you into my lap with very few options. My only order is to shut those very delicious looking lips one way or another. As I was informed all protocols are open in this case, you won’t learn any more than that if you are smart. Unless of course you and Alpha want to see what breathing water is all about. Now Please. Your reasons?”

Nancy took a breath, calming herself. That had been a real bullet, no one had ever fired a real bullet at her like that. Its sound as it past her ear had been mind numbing. “My father...”

“Is the Illinois state governor in the United States Mrs Rote. This is not the United States and you are wasting precious time you really don’t have. Your not Molly Procyk or Titania Bryzov. You don’t have the second most important and probably the most powerful Priestess on these islands as your personal protector. Nor are you Amelia Bourne-Phipps or Helen Ducros and have the most powerful intelligence agent on Spontoon as your sponsor, along with the same High Priestess as protector. That first is a man I happen to work for and who’s orders I happen to be following right now. Later, if there is a later I’ll explain some things to you. Trust me my sweet little squirrel you would not be the first Songmark student to suffer a regrettable training accident, one requiring a closed casket funeral. Are we clear?”

“Yes Mam” Nancy admitted. “Molly is a criminal wanted by the FBI. As an American citizen it is my responsibility to place her into the paws of justice. I don’t know about Helen, but she’s close friends to an English turncoat and they want her too. Somewhat the same for all those others, I am simply trying to do my duty to bring criminals to justice.”

Elizabeth carefully laid her weapon on the table, lest its sensitive trigger slip. “Does that include announcing to all and sundry that your water taxi pilot appears able to understand English and seems to be taking notes?”

“I thought he might be a criminal, I thought he might be planning to kitnap one of us. I was simply doing my best to protect those who were with me.”

Leaning back Elizabeth thought over her real options, unlike what she had told the would be sleuth there were only two. Nancy Rote was simply a nosey young girl with more brains than probably ninety percent of the girls her age. Maybe ninety-five. Like Oharu she had an eye for detail and the ability to crunch data in her mind on the fly. Like Amelia and Helen she had a taste for adventure and a desire to set things right. In short, she had potential. A great deal of potential.

“Mrs Rote, would it surprise you to know that Miss Devinski is right now waiting for the signal that tells her you are dead or still a student? That if you are dead she will return to Songmark only to discover that Alpha has suffered a regrettable fall in the showers. A certain third year is regrettably waiting for the same signal as Miss Devinski. Alpha will die of a broken neck yet it can take so long to die from a broken neck, thus slow suffocation may be needed as well.”

“Maybe” Nancy admitted. “I mean, I hadn’t thought about that.”

“Talented, but still rough around the edges. Do you always get excited when your tied up?”

Nancy whimpered, looked away then lowered her head in shame. “Yes” she whispered.

“This you learned when, before or after you were captured by Mr. And Mrs. Brummer. The dark furred siblings who married against the law.”

“How.....” Nancy’s mouth gaped in shock when the rabbit tossed her private medical records on the table. Those records had come from Creekside General, Not even her father had seen them. “Oh.. How?”

“No God?”

Nancy shrugged as best she could in her situation. “He and I parted ways, I’m still trying to find out if we can get back together again or if its too late. I hope that it is not too late.”

“A favor asked is how I obtained these. Had I not read them you little girl would have died the instant that door shut behind you and your sweet Alpha would already be cold meat. I can see that you are on a mission. Your out for revenge, vengeance or something like that and its going to get you both killed or worse.”

“So your going to kill us anyway.” Nancy sighed. She had hoped for so much more.

“Never jump to conclusions detective. No, I am not going to kill you, my decision, should you accept it, is to offer you a job. Under me.”

“As what? Your bed toy?” Nancy snapped.

This elicited a laugh from the rabbit, which stunned Nancy. “I thought she couldn’t speak.”

“Shutting her up is the problem when she’s mad” Elizabeth admitted. “Mrs Rote. I can see a great deal of promise in you and your Alpha. A great deal of talent and more than enough intelligence for what I need. I am offering you and your wife a job. One that could become a career after you finish Songmark, or even if you don’t. Think about this, I will arrange training for you under the best female private eye on these islands. I will arrange forensic training for Alpha under the same very good instructor. Finally I will arrange certain trips for your dorm, trips that may allow you to track down certain criminals or may simply be tests. In turn you will both sign a contract that says you will work for me for five years from today As a married team. After that you can stay or leave as is your choice. But there are limits.”

“What are they?”

“No nosing around any part of this nation other than Casino Island unless ordered directly by me. Keep your nose clean, follow orders and leave our water taxi pilots alone. Of course most of them understand English Nancy. This is a nation flooded with tourists half the year. Every one of them is bi-lingual, some know three or four languages Fluently. Even so, you wouldn’t believe the difficulty we had keeping track of a certain Japanese spy some time ago.”

“Can I think about it?”

Elizabeth glanced at the watch hanging from a chain about her neck. “You may have ten minutes completely within your own mind” she agreed. “Something else first, your wrong about your citizenship. Every student who comes to Songmark is, by law and the contract that you and your father signed, a citizen of Spontoon. From the moment she first steps aboard transportation to Spontoon until she last steps foot back on her home soil, or five years after leaving or graduating from Songmark. You dear Mrs Rote, are legally not an American citizen right now.”

“Oh...”

“Oh!” Elizabeth repeated dryly. She glanced at her watch. “Ten minutes Mrs Rote, from now.”

Silence filled the room, a silence broken only by the slow breathing of three women, an occasional rustle of cloth as Elizabeth checked her watch.

“Mam?” Nancy suddenly asked.

“Yes?”

“If I agree what we do, it will be legal?”

“Not always” Elizabeth admitted. “But it will be condoned by those who make and enforce our laws or those of other countries should that be required. You won’t be a spy, you will be, eventually, a legal badge carrying special agent of the Spontoon Government. An agent of the law sort of. I’ll even write a letter of recommendation when you two leave at the end of your contract if your as good a team as I suspect you can become.”

Nancy swallowed. She had planned to be an independent though there were pluses to what she was being offered. One being that she would continue breathing. There were minuses as well. “I’ll have to kill someone?”

“Can you?”

Nancy looked down again. “I honestly don’t know.”

“Then I suggest that until you do know that you don’t place yourself or your wife in a position you can’t get out of.”

“We will have to leave Songmark” she sighed. “We both fought so hard to get in.”

Elizabeth chuckled. “You will not leave Songmark, not unless you fail. Has Amelia left? Has Helen? Tatiana has been made aware that we well know what she is. Has she left? No. Amelia and Helen are probably the best role models you could find. Tatiana is finding a new path, a new destiny all thanks to her new sponsor. You see, though you must pay your own way for your education I will become your new sponsor. That means if you get into trouble, a bar fight, beating up a classmate, cheating on a test, getting caught breaking the rules. It won’t be your father who is informed it will be me. I will be the one woken up at three in the morning from my warm soft bed to deal with you. Mrs Rote I can kick Amelia and Helen’s tails together right now. Probable even Maria as well if she jumps in. Alone none of them are a match for what I spent most of my life becoming. Knowing that, what in the name of God do you think I’d do to you, would do to your wife.”

“I think you’d skin me alive, then use my pelt for a rug. I think Alpha would never see that bright star she talks about in her sleep. Look, kill me if you have too but please, don’t harm Alpha.”

Elizabeth shook her head no. “I’m no member of the Boneless Nancy. I’d punish you yes, my way but I wouldn’t skin you. I wouldn’t shave you and since you seem to like it so much I certainly wouldn’t tie you up and toss you into a dark closet. No, for you I think a spanking. A very, very harsh spanking and as for your wife what goes for you goes twice for her. You really can’t expect me to leave a family member to thirst for revenge do you? A card carrying Mad Scientist at that? I am not insane Mrs. Rote, crazy maybe but insane? Never.”

Nancy made her decision. “All right. I could say yes because I like breathing, I could say yes then run home, I could say yes because I want Alpha to live. But no, I’ll say yes, and mean it because what your offering interests me. A lot.”

“Revenge or Vengeance” Elizabeth asked softly.

“Retribution” the squirrel admitted.

“You’ll do, cut her loose then please have Miss Devinski come in. Tell her she can breath now and pick up the hat on that pole will you? Just do not drop it.”

As the rabbit moved to do as she had been ordered Elizabeth removed three sets of forms from the hidden briefcase. “Mrs Rote by even making a friend of Alpha you have made her a target. By marrying her, a very large target. For a shrew that is saying something. When you track down your criminals, and you will remember this. When they want to hurt you it will be Alpha who pays that price. Not you because by breaking your heart, by cutting into your very soul they will hurt you for as long as you live. Remember that, when some gutter trash threatens to get revenge jails only hold for so long.” She touched her automatic. “Death is forever. When you have to make that choice make it swiftly, make it for Alpha. Never for yourself.”

As soon as Nancy was free the rabbit walked out, leaving them alone. “The next time you see that woman Mrs Rote, it means that your in deep kimpchie” Elizabeth warned. “She is my boss’s private secretary, and what goes on in these islands that she doesn’t know about obviously never happened. Now this is the contract I told you about. Read it, not like you failed to fully read your Songmark contract, read it like your soul depends upon it. Because little squirrel at least your life does. I’ll arrange a copy to be given to your wife by you. With explanation, again by you and Mrs Rote. Depending upon events I might just one day finding myself demanding both your souls as well.”

Nodding in agreement Nancy tried to reach for a copy, only to discover her arms refused to function correctly.

“Rule number one. Movies lie, untied it takes at least a minute or so before you regain fair use of your limbs. Don’t you dare try to stand up, you will fall flat on your face.”

“Yes Mam. My medical records?”

“Go directly to Mrs Oelabe by way of Miss Devinski’s paws. They will never leave Spontoon. She will give them to me upon your successful graduation and trust me Mrs Rote. You want to graduate, you truly do. Anyway, Songmark needs to know the truth about your medical past. You truly have no religion?”

“Not right now. I know there is a Supreme being, it simply isn’t who I was raised to think it was.”

“I suggest that you look around. Find one because one day you will need him, her, It or them. Not because they can help you, they won’t be able to by then. No, because the bloods leaking out of your stomach, your legs are getting cold, your alone and your certain that you’ll never see the sunrise.”

Nancy, finding that she could finally use her arms, reached for the papers and dragged the contract to her. “Your speaking from experience” she stated.

Standing, Elizabeth pulled her blouse up from her skirt, a white patch of fur showing just above her bellybutton. “From experience” she agreed before tucking her blouse back in. “You want to talk to someone who’s been in a worse situation than you? I can suggest two people. The Priestess Oharu Wei and Molly Procyk. Now read.”

While Nancy read Catherine Devinski came in, glanced towards the squirrel then turned her attention to Elizabeth. “I feared the worse” she admitted. “To lose two such promising students would be a serious blow to Songmark and our reputation.”

“Please sit. Helen and her son have left?”

“Yes. So has Kjellfrid.”

Elizabeth indicated the waiting automatic with a wave of her paw. “Care to try?”

Laughing the hound walked around Nancy, settling into the chair recently vacated by the rabbit. “You’re a proven battle hardened killer many times over. I’d never make it, Helen would be heartbroken to bury a third person she loves.”

“Helen is a sweet woman” the bobcat admitted. “Have you made a decision?”

“Not.. Yet” the hound admitted. “She is tempting.”

“And rich and in love” Elizabeth added. “With you, she’d be worth it.”

“How would you know.”

“Oharu” Elizabeth admitted “Is a very.. Very dangerous woman. I wavered, for an honest few minutes I wavered.” She sighed, looking at her paws for a moment. “Had she continued I would have fallen, that’s my only warning about her. She’s dangerous in that way.” Elizabeth giggled. “If Molly ever kissed her all that hate would evaporate in a cloud of passion.”

“Nancy has your gun” Catherine commented softly, changing the subject while bringing Elizabeth back to the present.

Looking up Elizabeth found the squirrel standing, the silenced .45 in both paws. “Yes, she does.” A clatter of metal on wood filled the room. “But not its magazine.”

“This thing is empty?” Nancy asked. She turned the weapon, about to look down its muzzle when Elizabeth slapped it out of her paws. There was a muted cough and parts of the table shattered into splinters.

“Rule One with weapons. Never and I mean NEVER look down the muzzle. Even if your dead certain its empty because if your wrong, your dead. Understand?”

“I never saw anyone move so fast” Nancy gasped. “You said it was empty.”

“Wrong I said you didn’t have the magazine. Automatics are called that because when you fire one it automatically loads another bullet. Catherine, I want her on the firing range tomorrow morning. She has too much potential to just blow her own brains out by accident. Her and her wife I can’t afford to lose them, not yet.”

“Tomorrow’s the Third years day, with those new Browning Semi-automatic rifles” the hound reminded her hostess.

“Special dispensation. She’s messed with Amelia’s dorm so have them train the Rote’s after they have there own training. Through the mill, I mean the mill. Nancy Rote, you are too damned good to make such stupid mistakes.”

“I want to sign the contract” Nancy whispered. “I... I don’t know why I picked up your gun. It was.. I guess...” She sat back on the stool, defeated in her attempts to explain.

Miss Devinski stood, walked over to where the weapon lay and picked it up. Carefully she laid it in Elizabeth’s paw. “You left it out.”

“Test. She tried so she passed.” Accepting the weapon Elizabeth slipped her magazine back in, released the catch and set its safety. “Its loaded now” she told Nancy. “Treat every weapon you find, especially the ancient rusty ones like they are loaded. You’ll live longer.” Unscrewing its silencer she soon had both pieces hidden away. “I owe you wall damage and a table Catherine, send me a bill and I’ll sign it. Mrs Rote, if you really want to sign that contract sign it or be on the next transport off Spontoon to anywhere. With your wife and never come back even when your ninety nine and world famous. Never come back because I will kill you both on sight or my replacement will.”

Removing a fountain pen from her Songmark jacket Nancy carefully signed her name on each of the three copies, then watched in silence as Miss Devinski and the still unnamed bobcat signed their names. Taking her copy she studied the names. “Elizabeth Sapohatan” she read softly.

“Say that name in public and someone will cut your tongue out” Miss Devinski warned her student. “Your in elite company Rote, I’ve known Elizabeth since before Songmark opened and I know her husband. Elizabeth you seriously do not want mad at you. Her husband? There was an agent of his killed a few months ago I suggest you read about how she died. He has no pity, not with outsiders, not when his nations safety is at stake. He’d take me out in a second if I opened my mouth about some of the things I know and he’s a very close friend of mine.”

Nancy nodded in agreement. “In the company of thieves the wise man remains silent. In the company I now find myself, I believe I would be safer back in my previous situation in Creekside as a slave.”

“Much safer, but with a great deal less interesting future” Elizabeth admitted. “Give Miss Devinski your copy. She will insure it remains safe until you graduate. She already has the forms for Alpha on her desk. You will take them to her personally, explain everything then return them to Miss Devinski signed. Or run as though your lives depended upon it because they will. It is my hope that you will graduate, or I will be rather disappointed. If you do graduate you two will have all the training you need to stand on your own.”

Rising she gathered her own things, shoving her copy of the contact into that leather satchel she had hidden under the table. “You can keep the rope fragments if you want. And Mrs Rote? A serious warning, do not too much press the women we have spoken of. You are not in their league by a long shot and you may never be. Train, learn, keep your eyes open and your mouth shut. If something endangers Songmark or your fellow students speak to the faculty, Amelia or Tatiana. Anything else a card to box nine addressed to ‘the Lady.’ If it is seriously time critical tell any water taxi driver or a priestess. Better yet, get your tail to The Double Lotus and ask for a Blue Shirley Shrine. Not many people know this but the Lotus is open to certain people all the time. You two just became some of those people. Any questions?”

“What is the Boneless?” the squirrel asked. Her question caused Catherine to gasp in shock.

“Tell her when I leave Catherine. Tell her everything Helen has told you she has to know anyway. Just have someone ready when her nightmares begin. In fact...” Reaching into one of her skirts many hidden pockets she took out two blue, coin shaped tokens. “Take her and Alpha to Ruth’s grave. Now, then make an option on the students time class available. Basic Sleuthing, I’ll arrange for Elsia Hoffman to teach it.”

“We can’t afford another part time instructor” Catherine argued. “Not with what is costs to keep the Junkers flying.”

“Guess what? I’m paying Elsia’s bill because it is for this little fluff tail and her wife who will be taking that forensic class, and better make full A’s in it. I’ll see if I can do anything about the Junkers. No promises, but there might be something I’ll look into it.”

“Why do that” the hound asked softly.

Elizabeth smiled, reaching for the door latch. “Oharu came by last night. She had a dream so she asked me too. Good day ladies.” Opening the door Elizabeth walked out leaving the two alone.

“Miss Devinski. Who is this Oharu” Nancy asked.

“A Priestess” the hound answered absently. “Tragically in love with Molly. Don’t mess with her, she’ll crush your soul into ash and leave you completely healthy.” She shook her head, gathering her thoughts. “Tell you about the Boneless, have you eaten yet?”

“No Mam, not since breakfast.”

“Good. Then this shouldn’t be too messy. It all started in India with a British reporter named Killian Whitehall......”

Late that night Albert Sapohatan found his wife sitting alone in the darkness of their drawing room. “Don’t turn on the light” Elizabeth warned. “Not just yet.”

“You took care of my problem” he asked gently as he found his chair, settling in gently, grateful for its comfort.

“Yes. I have my own Songmark pets now thank you. And how was your day.”

“Rather easy compared to yours it seems” he answered. “Shall I make coffee?”

“Not interested in coffee. Something else though.”

“What would that be.”

He was answered by Elizabeth turning on a tiny light. What he saw made his breathing difficult. “How fast can you get out of those rags” she asked.

Her answer was his action, it seemed fast enough she decided sometime later.